THIRTY YEARS AGO ON JULY, 19TH 1989, UNITED AIRLINES PASSENGER FLIGHT 232 CRASHED AT SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT IN SIOUX CITY.
THE AIRLINER CARRYING 296 PEOPLE FROM DENVER TO CHICAGO SUFFERED HYDRAULIC FAILURE.
112 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES BUT AMAZINGLY, 184 PEOPLE ON BOARD SURVIVED.
LARRY FINLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE MID AMERICA MUSEUM OF AVIATION AND TRANSPORTATION, SAYS SO MANY PEOPLE SURVIVED BECAUSE SIOUX CITY RESCUE PERSONNEL HAD PRACTICED AIRLINE CRASH DISASTER DRILLS IN THE PAST, PLUS THERE WAS PLENTY OF WARNING TO ALLOW AMBULANCES AND FIREFIGHTERS TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE BEFORE THE CRASH:
OC……….IN THAT CRASH. ;21
THAT ALSO LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRI-STATE RADIO NETWORK FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AS CELL PHONES WERE NOT WIDELY IN USE IN 1989:
OC………..OUTPATIENTS DEPARTMENT. ;18
AND BESIDES THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, THE ENTIRE SIOUXLAND COMMUNITY PITCHED IN TO HELP THE SURVIVORS IN ANY WAY THEY COULD:
OC…….AT THE BLOOD BANK. ;19
THE AIR MUSEUM HELD A FREE OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY TO COMMEMORATE THE ANNIVERSARY AND RESPONSE EFFORT.
THE MUSEUM IS HOME TO AN EXHIBIT DEDICATED TO THE CRASH AND RESPONSE ALONG WITH THE POINT OF IMPACT ON RUNWAY 22 JUST OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
